gbrooks231
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2012
- Messages
- 148
- Reaction score
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Here's a little tale for all those who has procrastinated over continuing their proficiency.
Last Thursday I launched on a short cross country to Kalamazoo, Michigan. The weather was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky! I got a late start and after exchanging coffee and topping off at BAK, arrived AZO around 3:00 pm. My customer's facility is 30 miles north, so I got a rental and headed that way. After my visit, I decided to call it a day, called the FBO and had my plane hangered for the night. Everything looked good for a early departure the next morning with the weather was being forecasted as another clear VFR day.
I got up early, and went to the airport, a little concerned about the cloud cover but felt it would clear when the sun came up. After all, the TAF, NOAA, and even the weather channel said it was going to be a glorious day for flying!
As soon as the sun came up the METAR report was IFR. Still thinking everyone couldn't miss that badly, I sat around waiting for it to clear. By 10:00 am the METAR went to low IFR, and the TAF, stated the next 12 hours wouldn't be any better. The ceiling was 900 MSL, and the tops were 2,200 MSL. One of the guys coming in said that as soon as you punch through the overcast, at 2,200, it was clear. 60 miles south of Kalamazoo was reporting clear skies with unlimited visibility. I resigned myself to the fact I was stuck for the day, left the aircraft in the hanger, went back to the hotel and sulked over my bad luck.
The next morning was a mirror image of the day before with the prediction that it would not clear for several days. I extended the rental car, made arrangements for the FBO to hanger the aircraft till I got back, and headed for home the old fashioned way, by car.
The weather was finally predicted to improve by Thursday, so Wednesday evening, I made the trip back to Kalamazoo. Thursday morning began with marginal VFR, with a solid line of IFR between me and Louisville. Again, I went back to the motel moaning about my bad luck.
Finally on Friday, a week after my planned departure, I got clear weather. After paying all the hanger fees and pre-fighting the aircraft, I started to leave the FBO. One of the line guys walked up to me, shook my hand and said "well, I guess you've learned you can't depend on VFR weather when you are on the wrong side of the lake!" Then he said "Don't worry, you're not the only one caught, this happens up here all the time!" Did I mention that I'm not from Michigan?
$380.00 hanger fees, $270.00 rental car, $370.00 motel, all for a quick cross county. I have dusted off the books, called my CFI, and restarted my IFR work. The only positive comment for this experience came from an old time pilot at the FBO who said, at least you didn't attempt to scud run and wind up running into a tower somewhere. Remember, weather is a prediction, not a fact!
So for the rest of you who have put it off, (just like me), suck it up, crack the books, and get to the next level of proficiency (IFR) or you might get caught too!
Last Thursday I launched on a short cross country to Kalamazoo, Michigan. The weather was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky! I got a late start and after exchanging coffee and topping off at BAK, arrived AZO around 3:00 pm. My customer's facility is 30 miles north, so I got a rental and headed that way. After my visit, I decided to call it a day, called the FBO and had my plane hangered for the night. Everything looked good for a early departure the next morning with the weather was being forecasted as another clear VFR day.
I got up early, and went to the airport, a little concerned about the cloud cover but felt it would clear when the sun came up. After all, the TAF, NOAA, and even the weather channel said it was going to be a glorious day for flying!
As soon as the sun came up the METAR report was IFR. Still thinking everyone couldn't miss that badly, I sat around waiting for it to clear. By 10:00 am the METAR went to low IFR, and the TAF, stated the next 12 hours wouldn't be any better. The ceiling was 900 MSL, and the tops were 2,200 MSL. One of the guys coming in said that as soon as you punch through the overcast, at 2,200, it was clear. 60 miles south of Kalamazoo was reporting clear skies with unlimited visibility. I resigned myself to the fact I was stuck for the day, left the aircraft in the hanger, went back to the hotel and sulked over my bad luck.
The next morning was a mirror image of the day before with the prediction that it would not clear for several days. I extended the rental car, made arrangements for the FBO to hanger the aircraft till I got back, and headed for home the old fashioned way, by car.
The weather was finally predicted to improve by Thursday, so Wednesday evening, I made the trip back to Kalamazoo. Thursday morning began with marginal VFR, with a solid line of IFR between me and Louisville. Again, I went back to the motel moaning about my bad luck.
Finally on Friday, a week after my planned departure, I got clear weather. After paying all the hanger fees and pre-fighting the aircraft, I started to leave the FBO. One of the line guys walked up to me, shook my hand and said "well, I guess you've learned you can't depend on VFR weather when you are on the wrong side of the lake!" Then he said "Don't worry, you're not the only one caught, this happens up here all the time!" Did I mention that I'm not from Michigan?
$380.00 hanger fees, $270.00 rental car, $370.00 motel, all for a quick cross county. I have dusted off the books, called my CFI, and restarted my IFR work. The only positive comment for this experience came from an old time pilot at the FBO who said, at least you didn't attempt to scud run and wind up running into a tower somewhere. Remember, weather is a prediction, not a fact!
So for the rest of you who have put it off, (just like me), suck it up, crack the books, and get to the next level of proficiency (IFR) or you might get caught too!
